~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Friday, February 19, 2010

Cheddar Crackers...Reminiscent of Goldfish Crakers(or Cheez-it) Did you know that you can make Goldfish Crackers at home? Well, I came across this recipe posted at Savory Seasonings. Emily has a wonderful blog with so much useful information. She is amazing! Go check it out sometime. I was so excited to see her post a recipe for Goldfish crackers! I enjoyed munching on Goldfish crackers when I was younger. They were cripsy, cheesy and full of air pockets. I loved to bite into them and split them open. Just loved the cracker... But to make the Goldfish crackers at home?! You got to be kidding me! Of course, I decided to try them out for myself. They were incredible... crispy, buttery, cheese-flavored crackers. It instantly brought back fond memories of me eating them while in college, studying for an exam, and munching away:). These crackers tasted just like the Goldfish crackers I knew... maybe better. I decided to split the recipe in 2. I made one like the original, with white flour. The other half, I substituted whole wheat flour for the white flour. You couldn't really tell too much of a difference. The color of the whole wheat cracker was a bit darker and maybe they weren't as "puffy". I still would recommend them if you want to make the whole wheat version. They are just as delicious.

The directions for the recipe has you roll out the dough in a sheet pan and then cut them in squares. I like to roll out my dough between parchment and/or wax paper(This helps me to get them as close to 1/8 th of an inch thick as possible) I usually just take a chunk of dough and roll it out. I cut the shapes and place them on the pan. I continue to do that until I use all the dough. This way I have neat crackers.... But, if you don't care how they look, you can just follow the original directions and they will still be delicious. I chose to use a square and a triangle cutter for my crackers. But if you have a fish cutter, that would be ideal. In case you want them to look like the fish crackers, you can make your own fish cutter by going HERE. It is pretty cool, they show you how to make a fish cutter out of cans. Pretty ingenious! These crackers would definitely be a fun activity to make with your kids. Give them a try, I think you will like them. Hope you enjoy....

Tip: If you find yourself having worked on rolling out the dough for too long.... you might want to place the rolled out crackers in the fridge for a bit before baking. This will firm up the butter/cheese in the dough... and they will bake up crispier. Baking the crackers when the dough is too soft( from sitting on the counter too long) can result in greasy crackers as the butter and cheese can melt out.

~ To avoid greasy crackers, make sure your oven is preheated and hot... then bake the crackers.

8 ounces grated cheddar cheese( I ran out of cheddar, so I substituted about 2 oz Monterey Jack)

3-4 TBSP water

Directions:

Pulse the flour, salt and pepper, then add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal.

Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough forms into a ball. It will probably take a minute or so.

Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. I left mine overnight. This way the butter has time to solidify and I think makes for puffier crackers.

Roll the dough out to 1/8th-inch thickness directly onto a baking sheet. You don't want to roll them paper thin, neither do you want to roll them too thick. If they are too thin, they will not puff up as much. If they are too thick, they will not be as crispy.

Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut 1 inch squares,...I like to use cookie cutters/shapes. I noticed the square crackers don't keep their square shape as much. Some do and some don't ...Some form into diamond shapes as it bakes. The dough sort of shrinks and puffs up. But that is ok. I liked the triangles better, so I did more of those.

Bake at 350° F for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown. Watch them after the 10 minute mark.

Just found you on Tastespotting! These cheesey crackers sound good, anything with cheese is right up my alley and I love goldfish crackers (these will be sooooo much better). I'm following you! Thanks so much, loving your blog!

These look great! Cheese crackers are probably my favorite snack but I'd given up eating them, considering I can't pronounce half of what's on the boxed ones. I can't wait to try these! And I love that they work with whole wheat! Bonus!

Mary, Thanks for stopping by and for the sweet comment. It is an honor to have you follow!

Amanda,Aww...How sweet! Thanks for following me...yes, these are way better than the store bought version!

Laura, Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment...I appreciate it! I think you will really like these crackers.

Katie, Thanks for taking the time to comment...They taste much better homemade:)

Olivia,These are some GOOD cheese crackers! I think you will like them.

Kate,Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. You know, I haven't had Goldfish crackers for a long time myself....for the same reason:)That is why I was thrilled to try them at home and have them taste WONDERFULLLY Cheesy:) Yes, you can make them with whole wheat! I loved that.... I actually mixed the 2 kinds(white and whole wheat) in a bag and really couldn't tell the difference. Hope you enjoy!

Kak Rus,AWWW...Thanks for the sweet and encouraging comment! You made my day, and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I hope you enjoy looking through the recipes, and maybe trying one or two.~Ellie

Susan,Yes, I think not poking holes helps the air pockets to form. I also think the dough needs to be cold as well...it sort of resembles any "buttery" dough that needs to be refrigerated before baking ie. puff pastry pie crusts...~Ellie

I tried these with the pepper and all cheddar. I got mixed reviews from my four kids, but the dog would have eaten them all!!The kids didn't like the pepper and thought they were TOO cheesy. I think substituting a milder cheese would be a good idea, like the Monterey Jack. I also think I'll leave out the pepper next time. That said, for ADULT tastes, I had them with cream of tomato soup for lunch and it was perfect! I also think they would make exellent croutons and will try that with the last of them at dinner tonight.Thanks for sharing and showing off your wares. Mine didn't look as pretty, but we all had fun rolling and rolling to get them thin enough and then cutting them out.

Just saw this on The Kitchn! So this may be a dumb question, but is it possible to make these without a food processor? I've never had one so I'm not sure if mixing by hand would make a difference.. or maybe by using a mixer? Does the food processor just make it easier, or is it a necessity?

Allison, Thanks for stopping by...I've never made them without a food processor. But, the dough, to me, is very similar to a pie crust dough. So, if you have a pastry cutter(blender), you can use that to cut through the flour and cheese/butter. If you don't have that either., just use the old fashioned two knife method to cut through the cheese/flour mixture until you get coarse crumbs. You just want to get the cheese in small pieces(crumb-like) as in my picture with the food processor. Then add the water a bit at a time mixing and combining. Gather it together and knead it a bit to make a dough. Refrigerate for a few hours so that the cheese/butter solidifies...it will puff up better. I hope that helps a bit. Let me know how that works out for you...I hope it does:)~Ellie

I'm here via The Kitchn. This recipe looks like a dream come true. I've recently started playing around with homemade crackers and I know there are plenty of not-so-yummy recipes out there. Psyched to try this. Thanks.

Sarah,You know, we only had them for a few days, I just wouldn't keep them on the counter for more than a few days(they don't have any preservatives, so they would get stale quicker).I kept them in an air tight container for a couple of days, but they do get softer. I like to pop them in a 250 deg(or so) for a few minutes. They will crisp up again as they cool. Hope that helps.~Ellie

Hi Jenny, Thanks for stopping by...I am sorry, I have never made these crackers using an alternative. These crackers are highly based on cheese/butter. If you know of a "cheese" that is dairy free, maybe that would work...but I wouldn't know if it would give you the same result. ~Ellie

Of COURSE I don't have a rolling pin and my glasses are square shaped so I couldn't even improvise... So, using my hands did not get it thin enough and they came out all dough-y. I also have too small a food processor and I don't think it got the cheese fine enough. One of the small pieces on the edge did get nice and crispy and it really did taste like those goldfish crackers though!

Melanie,The 8 oz, is a weight measurement. If you measure it it by cup, it can give you varying results...depending how you "pack" it in the cup, how fine it is shredded, etc. It would be best to weigh it for proper results. Hope that helps~Ellie

Anonymous,I am glad you liked the crackers. I noticed that in order for the crackers to rise, the dough should be well chilled. I kept my dough chilled overnight. Also, I separated my crackers, as shown in the pictures, before baking them. I think that helps with the rising. Sometimes the cracker dough cutouts might need to be rechilled for a few minutes, especially if the dough has been handled quite a bit and has been sitting on the counter for awhile. Hope that helps~Ellie

I made this dough Thursday night and let it chill in the fridge till last night. Baked them last night around 12am and I'm so happy I was so tired otherwise I would have ate these all!!! I left them on the counter covered in parchment paper to see if it would help retain the crispiness since I didn't want to pack them hot. They are still so flaky and so CHEESY! I also added a bit of cayenne in the dough. AWESOME!!

Erica~ I have never owned a rollig pin.... And I am a culinary student! lol. I do, however, have many different sized wine bottles in my windowsill for just that same purpose!

Hi Ellie! I just found you through thekitchn after googleing "homemade goldfish crackers". I am on a mission to learn how to cook everything from scratch and then to share my lessons with the world. After purusing your site, I know I will be coming back often!

Quick question? Have you ever tried adding a bit of baking powder to help them puff or do you find they are perfect as is?

Also, to the girl that didn't have a food processer, I make my graham cracker crust using the pulse mode of my blender. That is what I plan on doing for this recipe as well!

Yep the cheese straws are great too. I used anchovies and crushed garlic inside, and they were a huge hit at a party giving them that extra zing that goes great with martinis. I love all your detailed descriptions and pictures!

Sarah, Oh , I am so glad you like the cheese straws as well. What a great idea with using anchovies and garlic! LOVE that idea...Thanks for sharing and for taking the time to share your feedback. So glad you are enjoying the blog:). Have a great day!~Ellie

Agnieszka, So glad you stopped by...I sure hope you enjoy the crackers. WE really, really like them:)Thanks for stopping by ...all the way from Poland! So far, yet so close:) Wishing you a great day! ~Ellie

Hi! Your crackers looks great! I'm going to make them at the weekend but I want to ask you one question: whad did You use to mix the ingredients in the food processor - knives or hook?(sorry if I made some mistakes - I'm from Poland, I learn English as a foreign language and I can't speak English as good as I want to.)

Paulina, I used a food processor blade. it is sharp. It is a food processor and not a mixer. The food processor has blades and the mixer has hooks/paddles. SO to answer your question , I used a metal food processor blade that has the sharpness of a knife. The food processor blade cuts through the dough really quickly ...so be careful not to over-process too much. Hope that helps...your English is great, by the way!

Hi, I was wondering if you think I could use a magic bullet to make this? I'm very new to cooking (as well as the magic bullet) and don't have an actual food processor. I know it can chop it up finely but I'm worried about the adding water part and the dough forming and if that will work/clog the blades.

Anon, I don't have a magic bullet and I am not sure how that would work...you might be abe to do the "chopping" of all the ingredients EXCEPT the water. You can then remove the crumbly dough in a bowl and add the water by hand and knead it a bit to fully incorporate. Try not to over-knead it...just until you get a cohesive dough...then refrigerate the dough so that the butter and cheese will solidify in the dough before rolling it out. a couple of hours at least(I left mine overnight)I am hoping that will help...and that you will be able to make them...and like them as well:)Do try to roll out the the dough thin enough... close to 1/8th of an inch. They are much better thinner:)..they get crispier as well. But do watch them so that they don't burn...Have fun baking:)...

I just used the magic bullet to make this recipe, I used it to crumb the butter into the flour. I chopped very cold butter into about 1/4 inch cubes (approximately, mostly I just made them small.) I measured the flour into the magic bullet, then I gently stirred in the butter. I blended the flour and butter in 5-10 second periods. Then I mixed the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl. (I grated the cheese very finely.)

I made a second batch, and found it works best to mix 1/2 of the flour and 2 tbs of butter at a time.

I brushed half with egg (beaten with a tsp of water) and sprinkled sesame seeds on top. It added a fun more grown-up taste/look.

So sweet of you to stop by and give your feedback on the crackers...I really appreciate you helping others, especially those who might have the magic bullet. Good to know that it is best done in batches...

I love the idea of brushing the crackers with an egg wash and sprinkling them with sesame seeds!

Jenny - I didn't look through all of the comments, but I'm also lactose intolerant. You could try a yogurt cheese, I think it resembles a mild cheese. I can't think of what one since I barely eat real cheese.

It would also be interesting with goat cheese, which most lactose intolerants can eat! Yum. Thanks for the post, I'm definitely going to try this. - Leigh (found this through TheKitchn)

These are awesome! My kids and I just got done making them with our tiny cookie cuts, so ours are fun animal shapes. They are tasty and I love that I know exactly what is in them! Thanks for the great recipe!! Liz, Deegan (5), Mazee (3), and Miri (4 months)

Liz, Deegan, Mazee and Miri, I am so happy you had fun making the crackers...What a neat project to make with your little ones. The animal shapes sound like a ton of fun! A really great idea...and yes, it is a bonus to know exactly what the children are eating. Thank you for taking the time to let me know how you liked the crackers. Appreciate it!

Just finishing my batch of crackers and they are yummy!!! I did a mix of cheeses (had it leftover from a cheese tray) and added a half teaspoon of smoked paprika. The triangle shape really does make a difference- they puffed up nicely! Definitely adding this recipe to my appetizer arsenal!

Anna, So glad you liked the crackers! And thank you for taking the time to share your feedback... glad they puffed up for you too:)! Though the crackers can take a bit of time, I think they are worth it in the end. Again, thanks for stopping by... and have a great day!

I was browsing some of the comments and I noticed someone said they were not sure if this dough could be mixed by hand. I have been making cheese crackers for awhile and its the only way I've ever done it. they come out perfect. I have even pipmade cheesecake without a mixer! Everything CAN pretty much be done by hand if you have the patience. There was a time where mixers werent around ya know.~Rachel

I have never been happier to find a recipe in my life! These were absolutely amazing and I look forward to trying many more things from your site! Posted about them in my blog and linked back to you, avocadopardo.blogspot.com, just so you know. Teeny blog that basically just my family reads but I know they will be visiting your blog now too! Thank you so much for sharing this!

Avocado Pardo, Yay!, I am so glad you liked them... I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know how the cheese crackers turned out for you. Happy that it is a winner of a recipe for you as well:).

Nicole, Thank you so much for your feedback...glad you and the kids had fun making them!And thank you for letting me know that it works with a mixer as well... great tip for those without a food processor. I appreciate you stopping by...

Melisa, I am so glad you tried the cracker recipe...and that you liked it.Crackers in general, tend to want to burn quickly:). They really need to be checked on more frequently than other baked goods as they are rolled out quite thin. But I am sure they won't burn after you make a few more batches:).Hope you enjoy the other crackers recipes. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback!

Sounds delicious. I was wondering if you could freeze these after cutting into shapes and before baking. It would enable me to make them in advance and pop them into the oven just prior to serving. Can't wait to try them.

Karen, I love your idea of making the cracker shapes freezing them , and then baking later. I don't see why it shouldn't work...it similar to a pie crust. I think your idea is brilliant! So, thank you for sharing...hope you enjoy them:)

Linda, Yay! so glad a you and the kiddos enjoyed the crackers...I love how you made half the batch. It's much simpler that way, as you don't need to roll out the whole dough... it can seem a bit tiring and overwhelming when doing the whole batch. But by splitting it in two you can have fresh baked crackers the second time around:).Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your feedback. I really appreciate it! Always makes my day when a recipe I have posted is a success...

Hi, I made two batches of this dough yesterday and let it sit, wrapped in seran wrap, in the fridge overnight. How long should I wait before rolling out the dough? I ask because it's quite hard right now, 45 min out of the fridge.

RH, You know, it might take a bit to soften enough to roll... Obviously it depends on how warm it is in the house. You may need to cut the dough in two or even three and then start pressing down with a rolling pin to get it warmed up a bit. It will eventually give in as you press and roll .... the pressing and rolling will heat up the butter in the dough. But remember not to have the dough too warm, where it sticks... Or the crackers won't be as puffy. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the crackers.

They were lovely and a big hit at the lunch I brought them to. I used whole wheat flour and a really sharp white cheddar... yuuuum! I did struggle a bit with rolling them out thin enough so I think I may try putting the dough though my pasta machine and then putting the cut crackers in the fridge for a little while before they go back in the oven!

Mub, So glad you enveryone enjoyed the crackers...thank you so much for sharing your feedback.Yes, I agree with you about placing the rolled out crackers in the fridge for a bit before baking....it is especially good to do so if the crackers have sat out for too long...can easily happen especially if the rolling takes a bit to do. Baking the crackers when they are too soft can result in greasy crackers. I'll add that as a tip so that others can know too.I haven't used a pasta roller yet, but I would love to see if it works ..."cause then it would be much easier:)

Apocalypsism, The whole wheat version doesn't puff up as much as the white flour version for me either...see second top photo....but they were still light. I didn't really notice a drastic texture difference from whole wheat to white flour... though I am sure whole wheat flours differ... hard wheat vs. soft wheat, how finely ground it is , etc... I used a soft wheat which has a lower protein, making it ideal to use for pastry , crusts, etc. I actually mixed both versions of the crackers in a bowl...and I couldn't really tell the difference... The recipe does work best with white flour... and the puffiness has to do with how cold the cracker dough is...and how thinly you rolled out the dough. Just place the formed crackers in the fridge for a bit before baking... and make sure the oven is preheated for a bit. Even if the crackers don't puff up in the end, they will still be delicious and cheesy:)

Hi Jennifer, I am not sure you did anything wrong:)..These crackers aren't supposed to be crunchy... they are crisp, but not crunchy as say, a wheat thin.But having said, the crackers need to be rolled out thin enough to get them crispy... and baked long enough. Otherwise the crackers will taste sort of like soft under-cooked puff pastry... for lack of a better description. The thinner you roll them out, the crispier they will be. I hope this helps... and thanks so much for sharing your feedback.

Anon, The crispness of the cookies I feel does depend on the thickness when rolled out... mine stayed pretty crisp ... for the most part... into the next day. But mine were rolled out quite thin and I didn't cover them after I left them overnight( they were all eaten by the next day:)). But I did notice the thicker crackers were indeed softer... probably because they were thicker, but also because they should have been baked longer (since they were thicker).

Stuck in a hurricane with nothing to snack on. Wanted something salty...and this recipe popped up. Yummy. I will def make again but use less cheese. They are fine the way they are...but will try less cheese to see if the flavor is still there, YUMMY.Will also try to add more flavors..like sour cream and onion.

Casey, That's quite normal! The dough will soften as it warms up, but you don't want it to get too soft. What I do is I tend to take my wooden roller and sort of give the dough a few whacks... until I can fold the dough unto itself. It eventually softens just enough to have me roll it without the dough being too soft. If at any point the dough is too soft after you have rolled it out, you can always place it in the fridge for a few minutes to harden the dough up a bit. Even after cutting the shapes it is not a bad idea to place the cutouts in the fridge for a bit... While you preheat the oven.Hope this helps a bit.... and I sure hope you enjoy the crackers!

I've tried this recipe 3 times in 3 different ways. It always turns out beautifully! My 18 month old daughter loves them! I use salted butter and don't add the extra salt. Today I made it with mozzerella and rice flour. Amazing light, fluffy snack. Absolutely delicious!

Mousewife, Oh, I am so glad to hear that you like the crackers! Sweet of you to stop by and share your feedback. While I've used rice flour for other crackers, I've yet to try it with this particular recipe... so glad to know it works:).

Makes my day that your daughter loves the crackers:). So thank you for taking the time to let me know. I really appreciate it!

Ok, I did not need to know about this tasty little snack! Dinner conversation: Son: Do we have to save any of these for [sister]. Me: what she doesn't know won't hurt her. We dig in and finish the batch!

Heather, So glad you stopped by and tried the recipe. Thanks so much for your feedback... and really, just taking the time to let me know how you liked the recipe. I'm thrilled that you like the crackers as much as we do:)

Thank you for the recipe. I baked it twice already and it was a huge success. Today, one of my friend is coming to my home and we gonna make this crackers. I add black sesame in it,,, and it was fantastic!

Susana, You are welcome:)! So glad you enjoyed the crackers... love your addition of black sesame seeds. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. I really appreciate it!Have fun baking with your friend:)...

Anon, Well, I am glad they tasted great:)! There could be a lot of factors to why they didn't puff up.

My guess is the dough was probably not rolled out thin enough. It could also be that the unbaked crackers got too warm in the process of rolling and cutting...the dough doesn't puff up because the butter and cheese will melt too quickly once in the hot oven. Best to place the unbaked crackers in the fridge to get firm and cold before baking.

Just my thoughts, I realize there could be other factors. But I'm glad you liked them... And thanks a bunch for your feedback!

I was searching for a way to use my Kitchenaid mixer to make my recipe for cheddar crackers, and I found your blog. Thanks for the idea on using a food processor instead. I sometimes forget she is under the counter. I have fallen in love with cheddar crackers topped with red onion marmalade, so I needed an easier way to make the crackers.

Just made this recipe. A few things I had to adjust and comments on my experience:

- About 10-20% less cheese was needed to give the dough the right consistency. This could be variability in flour density, blah blah. I used flour out of my freezer, so it could have had a bit different moisture content. Or you could be using a drier cheese.

- I found it helpful to give the dough a quick knead before cooling off. Maybe for about a minute--just enough to get a little flex to the dough.

- A pasta maker was helpful for rolling out consistent thickness, and used a ravioli cutter to make large squares.You mentioned kneading when making these by hand.

Steve, Thank you kindly for your detailed feedback on the cheese crackers. Sounds like you have baked before:). I am sure your feedback will help others to troubleshoot or perfect the crackers as needed. Glad you tried the recipe and I'm thrilled to have inspired you to make them.

Again, thanks a ton for taking the time to stop by and write... I really appreciate it!

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